S. italica seeds were analyzed in chemical, physical and qualitative aspects and then the fluidynamics was evaluated at ambient temperature, for different loads of material in two spouted bed configurations: conical (500, 800, 1100 and 1400 g ) and conventional ( 1300, 1700 and 2100 g). From the experimental data it was found that the particles were suitable for the system used, so the operating parameters of the spouted bed were collected , which were compared with their theoretical values calculated by empirical correlations available in literature. According to experimental conditions, it was necessary to choose only one of the configurations of spouted bed, so it was decided to operate the conventional spouted bed. For the seed drying kinetics only the optimal load (1700g) was utilized and the temperatures used were 44 , 65 and 86 °C, verifying the absence of constant drying rate, indicating that drying was controlled by diffusion mechanisms. The effective moisture diffusivity was estimated, resulting in the range from 0.7729x10-11 to 2.3189x10-11 and the relationship between the temperature and the effective moisture diffusivity was described by Arrhenius equation, providing an activation energy of 24,86 kJ/mol. The mathematical models that best described the drying curve were Diffusion Approximation, Page and Midilli et al. Furthermore, a rotational central composite design was applied with the objective of evaluating the influence of the independent variables time (X1) and temperature (X2) on the responses moisture ratio (XR), germination (G) and speed germination index (SGI) . The chosen answers are necessaries in the seeds quality control, as in the case of the moisture content during the storage. The G and SGI responses are indicative of the physiological state of the seeds, which are also important, in accordance with the purpose of the product. Through statistical analysis, for a confidence interval of 95%, it was found that XR and SGI were influenced only by X1, X2 and X22 , while G was statistically affected by X2 and X22 . The effects for all responses were negative , indicating that SGI and XR decrease with increasing of temperature and drying time. The answer G decreases with increasing of temperature. Quadratic models were proposed by the statistical analyzes, reaching good correlation coefficients (R2); 0.9632 (XR), 0.8998 (G) and 0.9724 (SGI). Then, the optimal value of the foxtail millet drying process was determined, using the concept of Desirability Function, which was corresponding to a drying time of 121 min at a temperature of 64 ° C, getting seeds with 82.99% of germination; speed germination index of 29.33 (dimensionless) and final moisture content of 11%.
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